A Day Late

This cake commemorates Robin's 49th birthday. I tried (with Kevin and Colleen's help) to remember her favorite cake. Together we thought of German's Sweet Chocolate Cake, cheesecake, carrot cake, and Peter's (bakery on Alum Rock Ave., San Jose) burnt almond cake. So, I thought I would try to make a burnt almond cake. This one isn't bad. I think Peter's just uses toasted almonds splattered on the top and sides -- my recipe had you make burnt almond brittle and crush it -- way too much work! The custard frosting is a blend of vanilla custard and whipped cream, very yummy. It was so much work that it took me until today to finish putting it together.

I don't remeber many of her birthdays and that makes me very sad. Of course, I vividly remember the first -- the day of her birth -- at the Naval Hospital on Whidby Island, Washington. I recall someone, a stranger, standing at the nursery window looking at the three babies behind the glass, pointing to Robin and saying, "that's the prettiest one." I felt like I had won a prize.

We spent several of her birthday weekends camping at Morro Bay, feasting on clam chowder and abalone. October was the perfect time of year on the central coast. Our friends, the Matthews (Nancy, Herb, Seth, and Sam), usually joined us on those trips.

We celebrated her 21st birthday at a rented cabin at Lake Tahoe. My wonderful friend Nancy brought the birthday cake for that event -- a cake with a bottle of champagne planted in the middle of it. Robin's dear friend Alice joined us for that celebration.

It's hard to write this and to pull up those memories; I get lost and overwhelmed.